Eric didn’t know that, either. He didn’t have the ultrasound image—that was with Ollie. He’d left Jenn’s old baby clothes at Olivier’s apartment, moved all her current clothes out, and swore he’d never return.
Because all this had been Olivier’s fault—the job, the family. Eric had spent five months with him, and now he felt empty, like something had been ripped out of his chest.
He’d wasted so much time learning to trust Ollie. And Ollie had betrayed him again, in the end.
“I thought you loved him,” Cole said, crouching next to Jenn.
Eric gulped, his heart aching. He didn’t know anymore if he did. The cage in his chest weighed heavier than before, and the emptiness in him—all he needed was another omega to fill it, right?
“I thought I did, too,” Eric said.
“Peetot,” Jenn said.
Ollie had taught her that. Ollie had been trying to teach Jenn all the new words, he’d smiled that stupid soft smile whenever he looked at her.
Eric had been a fool for believing him.
His bed had been too empty this last week. Then he’d thought about looking for some random hookup, but he couldn’t follow through. Nothing said omega like carnation and honey, and Eric had fallen far too deep this time.
He’d carved Ollie’s name into his heart. Nothing he tried could erase that scar.
The doorbell rang. Cole went to answer it. When he returned, he dropped a small package into Eric’s lap—a box, with a redirected address label pasted onto it. Eric had ordered it before he’d moved out of Olivier’s place.
The parcel had come from Meadowfall Dreams, the best jeweler in town. Eric took one look at the package and nudged it off his lap. Didn’t know what to do with it now.
Cole looked oddly at him. “You’re not opening it?”
“I have no use for it anymore.”
So Cole tore into the box, sucking in a sharp breath at the velvet jewel case, the two rings within. Eric’s face burned. He’d been feeling too damn romantic when he’d made that order.
And the jeweler had done a beautiful job with it, too. White gold, with a simple aquamarine pressed into each ring. The color of Olivier’s eyes.
“The words on the insides are tiny,” Cole said. “What’s with all that cursive script?”
A song from my heart to yours.
“Just shove it in the box and toss it,” Eric muttered.
Cole squinted at the rings. Then he read the inscription aloud, and Eric wanted to lock himself in the bathroom and never step out again.
“You really were in love with him,” Cole said quietly.
“Shut up.”
“Sha-up!” Jenn said.
“You’re sure you’re leaving him over this? Just because he said shit to you?”
No, Eric didn’t know. He felt like crap even though he had Jenn with him. He’d been hoping that Jenn alone would’ve been enough.
But even if Eric got back with Olivier... what was the point? He hadn’t been able to save his mom. And then there was Alice, and he’d entirely fucked up his job. All the new applications he’d put in hadn’t landed any responses yet.
Mostly, though, Eric couldn’t forget the sight of the blood. Mom bleeding, just like Alice had been.
What if Eric messed up, and that happened to Ollie, too?
“He’ll be better off with someone else,” Eric said.
“I trust no one else to be his alpha,” Cole said dryly. “Really, after you tried so hard to convince me?”
“Yeah.”
“Gods, Eric.” Cole sighed. “You’re an idiot.”
“Idiot!” Jenn said, beaming.
Eric buried his face in his hands. No, he didn’t know anymore. And every day without Olivier just made his heart ache worse.
29
Olivier
Olivier stared at the empty cash register, dreading tonight’s stock-taking. Business had been bad. Way worse than the months before.
The Total Sounds ads had spread all over Meadowfall, in-your-face like a tidal wave. It was suffocating. Before Eric left, Olivier’s sales had been steadily increasing. Now, he saw three customers in a day, and maybe two would buy something.
Did Eric know? Or had he washed his hands off Olivier, and he didn’t care anymore?
Ollie cradled his belly, heartsick. I guess it’s just me and you now.
Maybe he shouldn’t have written to the Total Sounds corporate office. Shouldn’t have told them, I’ve terminated my relationship with your previous regional manager. Please consider hiring him again.
What was the point? If Eric knew... he’d probably scoff at that.
The shop’s front door burst open; Olivier panicked for a second.
Aaron bounced in with a bright grin. “Someone told me you might be here.”
Olivier sank against the counter, his pulse racing way too fast. “Gods, Aaron. I thought—I thought you were a robber or something. No one enters a shop like that!”
“Sorry.” But Aaron continued to smile. He glanced at Levi, then slipped behind the counter to where Ollie was, slinging his arm around Ollie’s shoulders. “Can I take you out on a dinner date?”
Olivier stared. “Sorry, what?”
Aaron raised his eyebrows. “A dinner date. Where you and I eat dinner under the stars.”
“Aaron, if this is some sort of sick joke...”
“Nope, absolutely not.” Aaron peered honestly at Olivier. “Ask Levi. I’m having him guard the shop while I serenade you.”
Levi shrugged. “Hey, if that’s what you want.”
Olivier cringed. “This isn’t funny, Aaron. I don’t need a dinner date. Please don’t try to be—” He cut himself off.
“Please don’t try to be...?” Aaron looked pointedly at him.
“Eric,” Olivier mumbled, his face warming.
It had been four weeks since the breakup, and Ollie still couldn’t forget him. Eric’s cedar scent had almost faded from the apartment, but the memories sat in Ollie’s chest like heavy stones.
Some mornings, he woke up on Eric’s side of the bed, the sheets bundled around him. As though his sleeping self had been desperate for Eric’s embrace.
Other mornings, Olivier caught himself looking at the nightstand for the baby monitor. He missed Jenn’s smile, missed her burbling laugh. Missed holding her in his arms, making breakfast for her.
He hadn’t realized he’d taken Jenn’s presence for granted, until the moment she wasn’t there. And now his days were
